Cultivator



DBWANE BJSMITEL 2 Sheets-'Sheet 1. v

(No Mael.)

GULI'IVATOR.

No. 550,332. Patented Nov. 26,- 1895.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

DE WANB B. SMITH.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

GUL'IIVATDR.

(No Model.)

No. 550,332. Patented N0v.`26, 1895.

AN DREW BRAHAM. PHOTO-UTHQWASHINGTDN D Cv UNITED i STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DE VANE B. SMITH, OF DEERFIELD, NEV YORK.

cu LTwA-ro R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,332, dated November 26, 1895.

Application filed May 7, 1894. Serial No. 510,275. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, DE WANE B. SMITH, of Deerfield, in the county of Oneida, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oultivators, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in cultivators, and has for its object the production of a simple device which is economically manufactured, is readily moved to and away from its place of operation, is quickly adj usted for varying its depth of cut and the direction and amount of the throw of its side teeth, and is highly eflicient and practical in operation, and to this end it consists, essentially, in the general construction and arrangement of the parts, all as hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure lis an isometric view of my improved cultivator, the lower faces of the shoes or runners at its front and rear extremities being shown as depressed beneath the lower ends of its digging-teeth. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View, the lower ends of the digging-teeth being shown as depressed beneath the corresponding faces of the shoes or runners and the upper ends of the handlebars being broken away. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal detail sectional view taken on line 4 4., Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the detached attaching-pieces secured to the lower ends of the shanks of the side teeth and tothe points for said teeth, the fastening means thereforloeing shown by dotted lines. Figs. 6 and 7 are isometric views of the detached attachingpieces shown at Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a detail vertical sectional view of the adjacent ends of the spreader-bars, the retaining plates or pieces secured above and below said bars, and the link and cam-shaped lever for holding said retaining-pieces in their adjusted position. Fig. 9 is a detail vertical sectional view of the adjacent ends of the spreader bars, the upper retaining plate or piece, and the adjusting-wheel for engaging said bars; and Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the retaining plate or piece arranged above the spreaderbars.

The frame of my improved cultivator is of any suitable form, size, and construction, and is here illustrated as composed of a central draft-bar a, movable side bars a' a', having their front ends pivoted and their rear ends movable toward and away from each other, and spreader-bars a2 a2, having their outer ends hinged to the rear ends of the side bars d a' and their opposite ends lapped with each other and provided with engaging-teeth a3.

The front ends of the bars a a are hinged to the opposite ends of a cross-bar d4, and the bar a is provided with a U-shaped extremity co5, extending beyond the cross-bar a4.

The spreader-bars a2 d2 may be adjusted in any suitable manner; but I have here illustrated an adjusting-wheel B as interposed between their adjacent ends for engaging their teeth a3 and retaining plates or pieces B/ B2 arranged above and below the lapping ends of said bars.

The wheel B is mounted on a spindle o, which is passed upwardly through the retaining plate or piece B/ and a suitable bracket A, secured to the frame-bar a and to the handle-bars a6, and is provided at its upper end with a handpiece U.

The spindle b is movable endwise and is provided with radially-arranged shoulders b2 for entering similarly-arranged grooves o3,

extending from the opening in the plate B',

through which the spindle b is passed, and engaging opposite shoulders b4, formed by said grooves. When desired to vary the adjustment of the spreader-bars d2 a2, the spindle b is sufficiently elevated to withdraw the shoulders b2 from the corresponding grooves b3, and is then rotated, and when the desired adjustment of the spreader-bars is effected said spindle is depressed and its shoulders b2 are inserted within the adjacent grooves b3 for irmly holding the adjusting-wheel in its desired position.

The spreaderdoars are held in their adjusted position by a link C, hinged to the lower re- IOO taining plate or piece B2, and a cam-shaped lever c, hinged to said link and provided With a handpiece c and a camface c2, bearing upon the upper face of the plate B and preferably registered with an aperture b5 in said plate B.

Suitable front and rear diggin g-teeth D and side teeth E are secured to the frame of my cultivator, and preferably consist of attaching-Shanks d e, having their upper ends secured to the frame by suitable fastening means d e. and their lower ends extended forwardly, and digging-points (Z2 e2 secured to the lower ends of the shanks d e. The side teeth E are preferably so constructed that their points e2 may be shifted laterally for regulating the direction and amount of their throw, and suitable attaching-pieces E' E2, Figs. 5, G, and 7 are interposed between the shank e and point e2 of said tooth.

The attachingpiece E is rigidly secured by a bolt e3 to the lower end of the shank e, and is provided with a forwardly-extending lateral arm or ear e4, formed with a journalbearing e5 and serrations e6 adjacent to the edge of said j ournal-bearing- The attachingpiece E2 is rigidly secured to the point e2 by suitable fastening means e7, and is provided with a rearwardly-extending lateral arm or ear e8, arranged normally above the arm or ear e4 and formed with a journal-bearing e9, aligned with the journal-bearing e5 and serrations el() for engaging the serrations e6. The arm or ear es is also formed with a projecting hub e, mounted in the j ournal-bearing e5, and a suitable pivotal pin or bolt E3 is passed through the journal-bearings c5 e for pivoting the attaching-piecesE E2 together. When the nut of one of the bolts E3 is loosened, the corresponding attachingpiece E2 may be slightly elevated and rocked upon said bolt as a pivot until the point e2 assumes the desired position, whereupon said nut is forced toward the head of the bolt, and the attaching-piece E2 is firmly held in its adjusted position.

Upon reference to Figs. l and 5 it will be noted that the pivotal pins or bolts es of the attaching-pieces E E2 for the side teeth E extend at substantially right angles with the line of draft, and consequently said side teeth are adjusted laterally for varying the direction and amount of their throw without necessitating material elevation or depression of their digging ends and varying their depth of cut.

It is extremely desirable to regulate the depth of cut of the cultivatorpracticallyand efficiently, and to draw or move the cultivator to and from the place of its operation with a minimum degree of annoyance and labor. I therefore provide my improved cultivator at its front and rear extremities with shoes or runners F G, the lower faces of which are movable above and beneath the plane of the lower ends of the teeth D E for regulating the depth of cut of the cultivatoi and forming depressed rounding faces, upon which the cultivator readily slides when drawn over the ground.

The front shoe or runner preferably consists of a wheel j ournaled in the lower end of a lever F', having its intermediate portion secured by a pivotal pin f to the projecting front end a5 of the bar a.

The upper end of the leverE" is formed concentric with the pivotal pin f, and is provided with a series of apertures f', arranged concentric with said pivotal pin. The rear shoe G is preferably formed with a convex lower face, and is suitably secured to the rear digging'- tooth D and extends rearwardly therefrom, its rear'end being provided with a brace g. The upper end of the shank (Z of the tooth D is pivoted to the frame of the cultivator through the medium of an adjustingelever Il, to the lower end of which it is rigidly secured by bolts d3. It is thus apparent that the shank of the rear digging-tooth forms a depending arm for supporting the rear shoe or runner, and that the pivot for the lever ll is also the pivot for said shank or arm.

The lower end of the lever H is provided with an annular groove 7L, Figs. 3 and 4, and a shoulder 7L for receiving and engaging an annular flange t', projecting from a pivotal piece I, rigidly secured by shoulders z" t" and a bolt 152 to the rear end of the frame-bar d. A rack J is rigidly secured to said end of the bar d in proximity to the lever I-I by a shoulder j and the bolt i2, previously mentioned, and its teeth are engaged by a i :movable dog H', carried by the lever H, and forced into operative position by a spring H2. A suitable link or connection K is arranged above the frame-bar a, and its rear end is pivoted at 7c to the intermediate portion of the lever H, and its opposite end is formed with a downturned extremity k', secured by a suitable pivotal pin 7.52 to one of the apertures f in the upper end of the lever F.

As the lever H `is forced forwardly, the lower faces of the shoes or runners F G are elevated for permitting the lower ends of the teeth D E to enter the ground, and as the lever H is reversely moved the lower faces of said shoes or runners are depressed for decreasing the amount of penetration of the points of the teeth D E and for also elevating the points of said teeth above the ground, thereby permitting the cultivator to be read- Vily drawn or moved to and awayfrom its place of operation without engagement of the points of its teeth with the earth and the cond sequent inconvenience and labor that would otherwise result.

The operation of myinvention will be reach ily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, and it is obvious that it is economically manu- Iroo IIO

factured, is readily moved to and away from its place of operation, is quickly adjusted to vary its depth of cut and the direction and amount of throw of its side teeth, and is highly efficient and practical in operation.

rlhe exact detail construction and arrangement of my cultivator may be consideraby varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and hence I do not herein specifically limit myself to such exact detail construction and arrangement.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a cultivator, the combination of a frame provided with digging teeth, of a yoked hanger pivotally connected at a point intermediate of its length to the forward end of the frame, the upper end of said hanger having a series of apertures arranged concentric with the pivotal point, a runner supported at the lower end of the hanger, an adjusting lever hinged to the frame in rear of the yoked hanger, and a link or bar having one extremity connected to the adjusting lever and its other extremity formed with a downturned end connected to the upperl end of the yoked hangerthrough either of the concentric apertures, substantially as described.

- 2. In a cultivator, the combination with the frame, of a lever II pivotally connected to the rear end thereof, a standard rigidly connected at its upper end to the lower end of the lever and provided at its free end with a digging tooth, a shoe having a convex lower face secured to the rear face of said standard near its free end, and means for holding the lever in its adjusted position, substantially as described.

3. In a cultivator, the combination with the frame, of a pivotal piece I rigidly securedl thereto, a lever H connected to the pivotal piece to turn thereon, a standard cl rigidly connected at its upper end to the lower end of the lever and provided at its free end with a digging tooth, a shoehaving aconvex lower face secured to the rear face of the standard, a toothed quadrant supported on the frame, and a spring latch connected to the lever and engaging the toothed quadrant, substantially as described.

4. In a cultivator, the combination with a standard e, of an attaching piece E rigidly secured to said standard and having a forwardly extending ear e4 provided with a journal bearing e5 and serrations e6, a second attaching piece E2 having a rearwardly extending ear eB provided with a projecting hub e adapted to fit in the journal bearing e5, serrations el@ adapted to engage the serrations e6, and a journal bearing e? registering with the journal bearing e5, a pivotal pin or bolt E3 passing through the journal bearings e5 and e9, and a point e2 rigidly connected to the attaching piece E2, substantially as described.

In a cultivator, the combination with spreader bars hinged at their forward ends to the frame, of rack bars pivotally connected to the rear ends of the spreader bars and having their free ends lapped, upper and lower retaining plates between which said rack bars move, the upper plate having an opening and radial slots extending from said opening, a cam and link for clamping said retaining plates on the said rack bars, a pinion located between the rack bars and engaging the teeth thereof, an operating shaft connected to the pinion and extending upwardly through the opening in the retaining plate, said shaft and pinion having a limited vertical movement, and radially arranged shoulders on the shaft engaging the radial slots in the retaining plate when the pinion is depressed and being disengaged therefrom when the pinion is elevated, substantially as and for the purpose speciiied.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 10th day of March, 18941 DE WAN SMITH. Witnesses:

CLARK H. NORTON, E. H. WEIsBURG. 

